Tamashii no Me
by Mistress Panda
Summary: Updated sporadically: Humans are afraid of what they can't see... They can't protect themselves from THEM...That's why they exist...To protect them...To heal them...To save their souls... "Phantom, are you prepared for the unknown?" "As I'll ever be..."
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.**

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_Ten years ago..._

Nighttime had fallen onto the citizens of Amity Park. The last quarter moon shone its brilliance onto the city, with streetlights scattered about the darkened ways. Askew shadows of buildings and homes fell onto the sidewalks. Families locked up their homes and prepared to turn in for the night.

However, for one family, the simple locking of doors and windows weren't enough as a faint greenish dome encased their abode. A large sign on the roof of the town house saying "FentonWorks" along with an UFO-like vehicle behind it already gave the onlooker the right to question the mental stability of those who resided in that home.

If the said onlooker interviewed the neighbors about the Fenton family, they would probably say something along the lines of: "The parents are a crazy bunch, hunting ghosts when they don't exist," "I'm planning on calling CYS on those Fentons since those children are being raised in an unhealthy environment," and/or "If you have any sense, I suggest you leave before Mr. Fenton suspects you are a ghost."

Then if this onlooker was brave enough and knocked on the Fenton door, they would meet directly with a overweight man donned in an orange Hazmat suit, an ectoplasmic weapon aimed at the poor person's head. Of course, the matter of if they were a ghost or a human would immediately be cleared by a red-headed woman donned in a blue Hazmat suit. Afterwards, the onlooker would have left town in a cloud of dust, never to return again.

Despite such anomalies of the family, they can be quite a normal bunch. For instance, that night they had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner together. They discussed normal things like the eldest daughter, Jazz's day at school or her younger brother, Danny's day in first grade. There was some disagreement as to the idea of using Danny as a dress-up doll for Jazz. And once dinner was done, they helped each other clean up the dirty dishes.

During that one hour every evening, they would be a normal family. The children wished that those who teased them about being a Fenton could see this side of their parents but many people have the tendency to jump to conclusions before obtaining all the facts.

And so, every night, like tonight, the two would sighed at the thought and go off to Danny's bedroom to wait for that night's bedtime story.

Almost everyone close to the youngest Fenton knew of the boy's dream to become an astronaut once he was an adult. The spaceship models, posters of our solar system, star charts, and a telescope were sufficient proof of the young boy's determination to make that dream a reality.

He was looking at the Scorpio constellation through his telescope when their mother walked gracefully in to the NASA-inspired room, donned in a turquoise blue nightgown and robe.

"Looking up at the stars again, I see," Mrs. Fenton said, breaking through the child's silent observance. He quickly turned around and settled himself in his bed. Jazz sat on the edge with her legs tucked close to her.

"What story are we going to hear tonight?" the young red-headed girl wondered aloud. "Probably will have to deal with ghosts."

Hearing her daughter's concerns, she replied, "In a way, yes. But it's more of a legend."

"A legend? Mom, are you sure it's not a urban ghost legend?"

"No dear. I happened to come across the legend itself while on-line. It seemed rather interesting that I thought that you two would want to hear."

By this time, young Danny had interjected before his older sister could say anything else. "Please, Jazz. Let Mommy tell the story."

The girl made a face towards her brother but remained silent.

"Thank you Danny," she gave him a grateful smile. "There is a legend that says before ancient times, there were beings who were neither living nor dead."

"Like the 'undead'?" Jazz asked monotonously. She was clearly not enthused or slightly interested in what seemed to her to be another ghost story without using the actual word 'ghost.'

"No but something else. No one who could see them knew who or what they were. But at night, it would be of no surprise if one of these beings saved a person's life from the evil ghosts and other beings that ruled when the sun fell below the horizon. Before the saved person could express their thanks, they would disappear into the wind, leaving no evidence of ever being there."

"So it's a human with ghost powers? Like a superhero?" Danny queried excitedly, his ocean blue eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Maybe so. But they didn't have abilities like most ghosts are theorized to have. Probably because they didn't consist of ectoplasm, who knows. But they did carry rather unique weapons and had quite the skills. But for some reason, when the ancient age fell upon the world, they disappeared. Some versions say that they simply died away or gone on to another plane of existence. Other versions say that another being other than ghosts arose and they clash in a battle that ended in the sealant of these other beings by sacrificing themselves for the sake of humanity."

"Great story Mom," Jazz complimented half-heartedly and then yawned. "I'll be going to bed now."

As she left her brother's room to go to her own, the young seven-year-old was reminded why her parents were looked down upon. She loved her parents but goodness, must every bedtime story have to involved ghosts in some sort of way! Even when her mother told the story of Pocahontas, she had to involved the ghosts of the ancients in full detail! She sighed in resignation for she knew that she couldn't change her parents and their ways. After all, they wouldn't be her parents, now would they?

Danny, on the other hand, found the legend quite interesting and exciting to hear about such people saving the day. And when his mother kissed him good night and departed from his room, he couldn't help but imagine how his life would be if he had those powers as he fell asleep.

Unknown to him, an azure mist in the shape of a young child floated outside his window. A garbled childish laughter carried onto the wind currents as the shape fell away and the mist dissipated.

_If you only knew... _

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**So it's short, what did you expect? It's a prologue. **

**Anyway, I'm not the type of person who would hold chapters for ransom if I don't receive a certain number of reviews. I do this for fun and to share my stories with others. Though, I must admit that it is rather nice to hear from the readers of what they think, what they like, and what they dislike about my stories. **

**After all, there is always room for improvement and adjustment. But please, no flames! **

**Until next time, adieu faithful readers.**


	2. Unsealed

**Here's another chapter of Soul Eyes. I'm on a roll here! Anyway, thanks to the silent readers and the one story alert. It's nice to see someone reading what I write. Anyway, see you at the bottom.**

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_Present day..._

"Look out!" a teenage Goth girl shouted from the sidewalk. The white-haired boy turned around and barely dodged the onslaught of his ghastly opponent's attack. He then quickly developed a burst of ice and aimed at the threatening entity.

The armored ghost grunted in pain and inspected his battle suit. His flaming green mohawk only increased in intensity when he spotted his weapons were now useless in this battle. Eyes full of ire glared at the teenage boy that floated above him with a Thermos aimed at the weakened ghost.

"I'll get you for this whelp!" he vowed as he was sucked into the container.

The ghost boy didn't seemed fazed by this threat as he floated down to the ground. Lavender eyes widened then narrowed at his direction.

"Wait let me guess. Fan girls." he said with a bored tone and look on his face.

A squeal from behind him followed with a, "Oh my gosh, it's him!" confirmed his suspicions. He grabbed the ebony-haired teen and they flew into the sky.

"Darn!" he heard from the ground and smirked at their disappointment.

This was normal for the white-haired teenager known as Danny Phantom also known as Danny Fenton and his friend, Sam Manson. After every ghost fight, fan girls would appear and tried to get a date with him. They didn't mean to do him harm―at least most of them―but he just wasn't interested. (A/N: You guys know who you are!)

However, it was not always like this. Danny was what many ghosts considered a "halfa"―half-ghost, half human―who obtained his ghost half two years ago when exploring his parent's ghost portal to the ghastly realm of the Ghost Zone.

He tried his best to perform good deeds and protect his hometown of Amity Park from the vile ghosts that came through his parent's portal. Sadly, such a honorable duty had consequences: his drop in grades, missing curfew, groundings, and lack of sleep.

But when he saved the world from the Disasteroid a few months ago, his secret was exposed. With that event came the paparazzi, the media, and the ever-loyal fans.

Danny Fenton would never have a peaceful life ever again. Though, he would admit that it was nice to change into his alter ego without finding a place to hide.

As they neared FentonWorks, he sighed tiredly and phased them both into the living room. There, an eighteen-year-old Jazz Fenton on the lounge chair with her legs dangling over the armrest. In her hands was another textbook she was going through to prepare for the classes she would be attending at Harvard.

Now if a ghost entered the room in which one currently resided, the typical reaction would be to run to the nearest exit, screaming bloody terror. In the Fenton residence, typical reactions to ghosts don't exist, thus the calm attitude and half-hearted acknowledgement of the two younger teenagers from Jazz as she continued to study.

Despite the calm attitude, it annoyed Jazz that her little brother seemed to refuse to walk through the front door. She sighed as she has long accepted the fact there was nothing normal about the boy now and nothing will change it.

But did it really hurt to use the door at times?

Danny set Sam down on the ground and changed back to his human form. He allowed himself to fall down on the couch in exhaustion.

"Aren't you going to release Skulker into the Ghost Zone?" the Gothic girl asked.

"Later," he mumbled. He didn't feel like moving any time soon to do anything. He just wanted to lay on the couch and get some sort of shut eye. Then again, no one would blame him since he had just captured three ghosts before noon!

Before the two girls could say anything else, the world-renowned hero had fallen into a deep slumber.

-----

_Somewhere in Ohio... _

Rain. It can be life to those aquatic animals that reside in the rivers and lakes. It can also be death by the lack of visibility while driving down a freeway. And extensive speed could cause a car to hydroplane and become a ticking bomb.

This was the cause of the Yancy accident that sent a father and his son into the bumper of the van in front of them.

The father obviously felt that he was above nature and did not heed his young son's insistence for him to slow down. To silence the pleading emerald eyes of the boy, he reached to the backseat and slapped him hard across the cheek. But as soon as he turned to face the front, a SUV holding a family of five was in his angle of disaster. He rear-ended the blue van, sending both vehicles into the median.

Occupants in both vehicles were only slightly hurt, but mostly shaken. But in entire case, they were trapped in their own vehicles due to the heavy rain and traffic outside.

"That was close!" the middle-aged man exclaimed, panting. "Wow."

The young boy, however, didn't feel the same way. Actually, he was quite furious at his father for being so risky. He didn't know how many people were in the SUV but he knew that they could have been seriously hurt. It must have been luck that no one died on the crazed man's behalf. It disgusted the child that this man's blood ran through his veins.

He was so angry that he began to feel light-headed. He looked around to see a mysterious shadow that had somehow grabbed his arm. He tried to get it off but the dark shadow held fast to the frantic child. He saw a turquoise-blue mist flowing out of his chest into the thing, glowing at the received mist.

It was then he knew what it was doing for he seen enough cartoons and read books about it.

"Dad! Dad! Help me!" the boy shouted in hysteria, still struggling to get free.

"What's the matter?" the man snapped. He wasn't in the mood for his son's antics, as they were forced to wait for assistance in the dreary damp weather. All he wanted was to get home and warm up by the fire. Besides, he was forced to take the freeway due to construction on a bridge that he would usually take.

"There's this dark shadow taking my life-force!" Now the boy was beginning to feel weakened as it consumed more. He was having trouble staying conscious as the dark shadow loomed over his withering form.

"I don't see anything! Now stop—" The man was cut off by the sudden collapse of his son onto the seat, his skin now a deathly pallor. "Matt?" The boy remained limp on the seat, his still emerald eyes staring at his father in a pleading expression.

"Matt!" he shouted in anguish. At that moment, the boy's father suddenly became dizzy, as soon as he felt something on his shoulder. He turned around and saw another mysterious shadow taking his life-force as well.

But that was not the only thing he saw.

"Oh Lord have mercy on us..." he whispered as he saw more shadows around the SUV with the pleas and screams emitting from the disabled vehicle.

And more were coming as they rose from underneath the ground. He felt the car shake as other vehicles lost control and crashed into him. Moans and cries echoed through his cranium as these ominous shadows swarmed around their human victims.

"I'm sorry, son," he whispered as he too succumbed to the darkness.

-----

A black shadow phased to the earth entered into a void of darkness. Hushed garbled sounds echoed throughout the obscurity. A lone turquoise-blue sphere of energy was visible in the darkness. Distorted cries of souls emitted from the sphere as it made its way to something.

A unified sound of homage was heard along with a thump on some sort of floor.

The sphere stopped in the palm of a deformed and scarred hand with elongated nails used as claws. A hideous vile grin playing on the darkened figure's face as the energy of the souls were absorbed into this hidden being. Then a golden eye glowed in the darkness.

"I've returned mortals," it hissed in a taunting way.

The whole void began to come to "life", as low azure flames lit up the area enough to reveal to what seemed to be a throne room of sorts. The shadows bowed and knelt before the obscured figure, unknowingly quaking the ground on which they stood.

-----

Unlike most nights, it wasn't ghosts that had awakened the poor boy from his slumber. No, it was pain.

It started as a prickling sensation that moved about his limbs that could have been so easily ignored. Then it turned into throbs spread from head to toe. He gasped as he clutched his chest, the throbbing concentrated in that area. His head felt like it was going to explode any moment.

He wanted to scream for help but all he could do was whimper. He mentally berated himself for being so feeble. He was a world-renown hero! He had faced evil ghosts and his archenemy. He saved the world from Pariah Dark, Freakshow, and the Disasteroid!

However, he could not handle the constant pain that enveloped his entire body. Before he could think any more about it, the pain seemed to evaporate into thin air, leaving him tired and worn out.

_What the heck was that?_

Suddenly, all his senses were on high alert. He glanced out the window and scanned the nightly world outside.

Nothing.

_'Stupid paranoia'_ he thought as he slowly made his way to the door for some water.

-----

Unfortunately, the teenager's paranoia was justified. After he turned away from his window, an observer might have seen a figure of another teenager standing on the roof across the street from FentonWorks, watching Danny sway to his bedroom door.

A slight breeze blew, rustling the green leaves on the trees. Their black clothing revealed nothing that could distinguish them for a male or female. Only a hood hid their face from view, only showing their lips in a thin line.

"When will they come for him?" a stern feminine voice with a slight echo emitted from the being. The lips did not move even once! A familiar silhouette appeared behind them, floating in close proximity.

"In three days' time," an ageless voice answered in a matter-of-fact manner.

In a blink of an eye, the figures were there no more.

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**Heh. It's on the short side again but it was four OpenOffice pages! Argh! I can't write long chapters!**

**So yeah. Anyway, over the next couple weeks, I won't be able to update often because 1) I have summer homework that needs to be completed and 2) I'm going to camp! Yay for me!**

**Kitty: And I'm so happy! **

**Teira: Me too. And Psycho, I better not find any hellholes when I get back.  
**

**Psycho: Why do you suspect me of such things?**

**Teira: Because you're a demonness. And the fact that Kitty pointed out to me the one you're hiding in my closet.**

**Psycho: Heh, heh. (to herself) Snitch.**

**Teira: Until next time, farewell faithful readers and humble me with a review please.  
**


	3. Coincidence?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.**

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Morning glories poured through the blinds, descending onto the face of the raven-haired teenage boy. It twitched in a struggle to cling to sleep as the weak sun rays tried to pry open the boy's eyes to see the ocean blue orbs that resided within.

After several minutes of resistance, the eyelids relented and lifted up to let the light into the black holes, causing them to constrict. The boy moaned as a hand lazily found its way to his head.

_'What a night,'_ he thought to himself as he sat up in his bed. _'Seems like everything is slightly sore, and for that, I'm grateful. I don't want everyone fussing over me...' _He sighed, disliking the idea of keeping another secret from his friends and family.

However, his attention quickly returned to what exactly happened last night. _ 'Did I move wrong in my sleep or something? I've got wounds almost everywhere, however...'_

His sister's shout of "Danny!" tore him away from his musings. Yawning and not really looking forward to the red-head's morning character, he tossed his bedsheets away from himself to attend to his hygiene.

Twenty minutes later found Danny sluggishly phasing through the second floor to the kitchen and bumping into his older sister.

"Good morning!" she greeted in cheerfulness unrivaled. It also seemed as if an angelic glow was about her with contained wakefulness. One may say that Jasmine Fenton could have caffeine make a run for their money.

Nonetheless, it has been proven that this aura cannot reverse the effects of not being a morning person.

Thus the disgruntled, fatigue, and slightly envious tone of the younger teenager's, "Morning."

Most people would let the boy be until he has fully awaken from his slumber. Unfortunately for Danny, he wouldn't have such with Jazz. When the protective older sibling hears any type of distressed tone, she would take it as a sign to help her brother by using the skills she learned in her study of psychology.

Now was one of those times.

"Do you have something you want to talk about?" the concerned sister asked her brother with pleading, scrutinizing eyes. The boy yawned again and shook his head. "You sure?" He nodded with the same drowsiness.

On autopilot, he fixed himself a bowl of cereal and sat down at the table. He hardly noticed the Cherrios entering into his mouth nor the weatherman's report. The young hero was so out of it that if a herd of elephants stampeded through the city, he would have still stayed in his zombie-like state.

He heard a voice calling out to him but again his conscience wasn't in the room. However, when the words, "unexplained deaths," he was slammed back to reality with fatigue a mile away.

"Unexplained deaths?" the young man asked his older sister, looking with eyes that had been awake for hours. The red-headed girl placed her hands on her hips in agitation as her angelic glow darkened into menace.

"Yeah! I been trying to tell you but you weren't listening to me!" She yelled at her younger sibling. "You would have made a face-plant into your bowl if you hadn't returned to planet Earth."

Danny muttered something along the lines of, 'Stupid morning people,' before responding, "Well what about them?"

"Just listen to the news," she insisted, gesturing to the television the Fentons had in the kitchen. Only the voice of the reporter, John Vance, was present in the room.

"_...and here I am with one of the first people who tried to help, Walter Canter. Mr. Canter, can you tell our audience what you saw and did?__"_ the middle-aged man questioned as the camera directed its attention to a graying forty-eight year old man.

"_Well, I was driving in the same direction as those folks. When I saw the wreckage, I immediately stopped and called 911. I tried to help any survivors. I found a girl clinging onto a young woman with tears in her eyes. She said that her aunt wouldn't wake up. So I thought the woman was unconscious and went to check for any vital signs. Her skin was ice-cold and a bluish color! I asked the kid what had happened and she just burst into tears and hugged me. Whatever she saw, it was definitely scarring to the kid.__"_

The camera panned back to Vance in a grave expression. _"__Thank you. Now back to you Julie.__"_

At this point, the Fenton siblings ignored the box as the anecdote sank into Danny's brain. Jazz studied the halfa's face as he thought over the information. She was also the one to break him out of his musings.

"You don't think it's ghosts either."

"No," he agreed. "At least not the ones I know. If they were to do anything, it would be to annoy them. But to kill them? I don't think so."

"Vlad?"

"What would Vlad gain from that?"

"Good point."

_'And it can't be Dan because he would have came after me or those close to me first,' _Danny thought to himself.

The two sighed as there were no suspects to pinned to this event. They dragged themselves to the living room in their initial defeat. But before they could relax, a certain ghost girl phased through the wall.

"Danny! Finally!" she gasped for breath (A/N: Ghosts breathe?).

Jazz inspected the girl from head to toe: her white hair, neon green eyes, the midriff top, and flaring bottoms with complimentary black and silver and the DP symbol. If the high school graduate didn't know any better, she would have sworn she had a sister as a halfa than a brother.

"Danielle?" The teenage hybrid looked at the newcomer with a mix of concern and surprise.

"Even now, you insist on calling me that. Call me Dani!" she cried.

Jazz stepped in between the two. "And you are?"

"Dani Phantom?" the younger girl answered nervously. The red-head then redirected her attention to her brother.

"Do you mind?"

"Um, well. You see," he took a breath and said rapidly. "Dani is a clone of me when Vlad tried to make the perfect son bu the made a mistake with a chromosome and got her." (1)

"She's a clone of you made by Vlad?" she stated in shock and was ready to activate the Fenton Peeler when Danny stopped her. (A/N: She must really understand her brother.)

"She's good, I promise," the hero ensured his sister. He gave an admiring glance towards Dani. "She saved me once."

"Yeah, but still...Wait, we don't have time for this," the preteen's voice turned serious. "Something weird is going in the Ghost Zone."

"Weird? Dani, it's the Ghost Zone. Of course strange things happen," the raven-haired boy stated in a nonchalant way.

"I know but what's happening is weird for even the Ghost Zone. Ghosts are disappearing like crazy! Already the Ghostwriter, Johnny 13, Kitty, and Amorpho are gone without a trace along with some other unimportant ghosts," the young girl began to tremble as she clearly was shaken by the events.

The Fenton children looked at each other, then encouraged her to continue. "The Lunch Lady said she saw something like a shadow about her lair but she wasn't completely sure about it. All ghosts are on high alert and everyone watching their backs. We don't know who will be next to disappear into thin air."

They exchanged uncertain glances at each other. The situation didn't seem to bode well with any of the youth present in the room. They remained silent as they heard a crash from the lab downstairs, followed by a muffled, "I'm okay," from Jack Fenton.

"First that story on the news then this?" Jazz mused aloud, not acknowledging the crash from the basement. "Is it all coincidence?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Danny supposed. "Why not we talk with the others about this? Six heads are better than three."

"I guess you're right," she sighed tiredly. "I'll drive."

"Why not fly? Avoid traffic and annoying fan girls," he suggested. Both girls nodded in agreement as Danny went to call Sam, Tucker, and Valerie to meet them at the library.

-----

It watched as a human girl hold on for dear life to a ghost boy's hand while another ghost―a girl―flew ahead of the pair. They laughed for it was all they could do, especially after about an hour of serious issues.

_-----_

"This isn't a coincidence," Sam Manson deadpanned as the six (Danny, Sam, Tucker, Valerie, Jazz, and Dani) crowded around a computer in Amity Park Public Library.

"How are you so sure?" Tucker asked skeptically. "You weren't there."

"It's just my intuition," she scowled at the tech-geek. "Do you have a problem?"

"No, not at all," he paused. "So if these two incidents are related, what does that say?"

"That there is something out there that is targeting humans and ghosts alike," the Red Huntress stated in a matter-of-fact way.

"Then the question becomes: who or what is it?" Danny said.

All eyes were filled with the worry of the unknown, of what could happen if this being were to stay free to terrorize everyone.

While they discussed the increase in patrols around the city as a precaution, no one noticed how Sam avoided eye contact with everyone.

-----

As the sun disappeared below the horizon, the ever-present silhouette could be seen standing on the roof of Casper High. A slight breeze blew, rustling the leaves on the trees along with the dark-colored clothing they were donned.

Their head inclined backwards to the dusk sky.

_I can smell them... They're early..._

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1. The site wouldn't let me have what I wanted so I had to change it.

**Thank you for reading. Until next time, adieu faithful readers.**


	4. Tasty

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, surprise, surprise.**

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_Darkness. No light. Her sense of her body was gone with only the conscience to remain._

"_Hello?" her disembodied voice pierced through the void. No echo. "Hello? Anybody?"_

_She felt she had been dumped into a sea of ice water, or at least she thought she was._

_She was truly alone._

_Then another voice reached her hopeless senses. A familiar, comforting voice that she had learned to trust._

_Danny..._

"_Hello? Is anyone here?" his voice shouted in concern and panic. She could see a faint white glow in the distance. With hope settled into her being, she felt what seemed to be her legs running towards it with glee._

_However a cry anguish for the young halfa's lips quickly spoiled the joyous mood. _

_She could see_ **them**.

_They swarmed around the him as he tried to fend off the fiends with his powers but no avail. They grasped his limbs with ferocity and strength, like lions taking their kill. Blue and white mists expelled from his being ever so often. The teenager thrashed about but his strength was diminishing._

_It was then she knew she had to intervene._

_She went to reach for him, only missing him by mere inches. His neon green eyes cackled with fury, staring intently at her as if to say, "Leave. Save yourself."_

_But how could she leave him there? He was her friend and companion. She could never abandon him to the likes of this predatory creatures. _

_And so she stubbornly continued in her struggle. When she finally was able to hold his gloved hand, it and the infamous Phantom faded away into oblivion._

-----

A small yelp resounded throughout the azure tint bedroom as an ebony-haired girl suddenly shot up in her queen-sized canopy bed.

Her hands trembled; her breath short. Tiny beads of sweat has formed on her brow.

Sam Manson had just awakened from another nightmare.

She would always try to convince herself that it was all fake; that they were fears that happened to follow her into her dream-scape. It wasn't anything special or foreboding.

This was different from the norm―if there ever was such a thing as "norm." It was the reason why she barely made eye contact with Danny at the library. She didn't want to ramble about a nightmare that could mean anything or nothing.

For all she knew, it might have been her fear of losing her best friend.

"Then what were **they**?" she asked herself as she sat on her window seat. She pulled her legs close to her upper body. Her doleful lavender eyes lifted up to the crescent moon as if the answer was etched onto the surface.

Out of her peripheral vision, she saw someone perched on the branch of a nearby tree.

Her muscles tensed as she slowly turned her head to see...

Nothing. Just a normal tree branch in the night. She sighed deeply, whether from relief or sadness she did not know.

"I must be losing my sanity," she mused aloud. A cynical 'humph' escaped her lips._ 'That wouldn't be a surprise.'_

She quickly went back in her bed. She laid awake, staring at the ceiling until sleep claimed her again.

-----

"Hey guys!" Danny greeted with a Fenton Thermos in hand as he ran up to Sam and Tucker. He explained how he captured Technus on his way to lunch, thus why he wasn't in the cafeteria. Several girls squealed at the sight of him as some fainted from his presence.

"When are they going to stop?" the young hero whined to his friends.

"When the Earth implodes," deadpanned the three of them as rolled their eyes in annoyance when the fan girls continued their hyperactivity. They prepared to go to their respective sixth period classes.

Despite the high status, they had to pushed through the congested hallways. Even to this day, it never ceased to amazed them how many Casper alumni fit into the building.

The hallways were like a battlefield. One must stand their ground to defend their right to walk the halls. There was much shoving and pushing, dodging and weaving. If one wasn't strong enough, then there was a high possibility that they would have found themselves late to class.

And if one was late to Lancer's English class, it could cost one their afternoon.

So Danny, Sam, and Tucker pushed their way through the crowd. Several greetings were heard as they passed through the dangerous waves of students. At the main stairwell, they split to go their separate ways.

It was a miracle that the ocean blue-eyed teen found himself on time to this class. The teacher, Ms. Thurston, stoically nodded her head in his general direction as he sat at his desk. He stretched and yawned, readying himself for the forty-five minutes he would be here.

However, fifteen minutes into the period, an azure mist expelled from his mouth. His hand shot up in the air and excused himself from class to handle the ghostly menace, whoever it might be.

While running, he transformed into his alter ego and searched around the school to see what caused his ghost sense to activate.

Nothing.

Phantom ran his gloved hands through his snow white hair in confusion. _ 'I could have sworn...'_

A bloodcurdling shriek shattered the quiet atmosphere, followed by numerous screams.

The ghostly teen whipped around as he saw his fellow classmates fled out of the school through the various emergency exits.

Some were saying the world was about to end. Others were crying as they trembled within the circle of their friends. The teachers that were outside tried to control the situation but it was proven futile.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted Tucker and Valerie were fine physically. He floated to them and asked, "What the heck happened? Where's Sam?"

A reassuring hand and two lavender orbs somewhat relieved the worry for his friends. However, he noticed all three of them were shaking with horror as they laid eyes on Danny.

"They started dropping like flies, dude," Tucker muttered. "And there are still people on the fourth floor."

Without any hesitation, he zoomed into the high school as he heard sirens in the distance.

The first thing that hit him was the smell. He put one glove to his nose in an attempt to snuff out the sickening odor of decaying, rotting flesh. He saw limp bodies here and there as he moved throughout the school. One boy was completely blue as his face was fixed in an expression of horror. His brown eyes stared at the ceiling.

A wave of nausea hit Danny hard as he ran to the nearest garbage can to vomit.

Once done, he continued to the fourth floor. He heard moans and cries for help as he ventured onto the floor.

Then he saw _them_.

About thirty of these black mist _things_ floated about the hallways, preying on those who didn't meet the safety of outside. Wisps of blue emerged from the fallen into the darkly-clothed entities.

"What the heck are they?" he whispered to himself. "These aren't ghosts."

He could hear the cries of help within one of the classrooms. Several of them perked up at the sound of despair and decided to make a move on the defenseless humans.

But the white-haired teen had other plans.

"Don't think so!" he exclaimed as ecto-plasmic energy gathered around his hands and fired at one of them. The ray passed harmlessly through the 'body'!

"What!" he shouted in disbelief. He was certain now that they weren't ghosts.

He was about to fire another to see if it was fluke when all of them turned their attention to the young halfa.

"Oh crud." He prepared for them to lunge themselves towards him. However, that wasn't their intentions, if they had any to began with.

The once lifeless bodies of his teachers and classmates became animated as each predatory entity inhabited them. The little army of the "undead" stood up dazed, looking at Danny with hungry pupiless eyes.

"Now that just isn't fair," he shouted as the people he walked the halls with everyday rushed at the lone ghost boy.

He couldn't hurt them since it wasn't their fault that they were in this mess. They were innocent of such a battle. And because of that conviction, he tried his best to dodged their punches, kicks, and grabs.

A freshman girl grabbed his arm. He screamed in pain as a blue mist exited from his arm and entered her mouth. She licked her lips with delight as her hazel eyes glistened with predatory gleam. She smirked as her prey freed himself from her hold. They knew what had happened, their prey stumbling about.

_'So they take the energy of the living,'_ he thought. _'They probably did that stuff in Ohio, too.'_

He felt considerably weakened by the missing energy. His dodges were less precise than before, struggling to keep up. Here and there, he would see some blue energy expel from his being, leaving him with less strength than before.

Soon, the young hero had fallen to his knees, barely conscious. He forcefully reverted back to his human form and tried to turn back to his alter ego.

_'I don't have enough energy,'_ he thought hopelessly as he panted. His ocean blue eyes lifted up to see the twisted faces of the possessed. Drool leaked from the freshman girl's mouth with glee.

"Interesting," the brunette hissed with a distorted girlish voice. "Living and dead...Tasty..."

With the little energy he had left, he quickly phased through the floors as they began to lunge at him again. He stopped on the second floor and tried to phase through this floor as well. His intangibility wasn't as strong with only fingers to go through solids.

Reluctantly, he stood up swaying. He navigated his way to the nearest stairwell, hearing friendlier voices. Once again, he felt useless to the world.

_'It's happening again...'_

He sadly opened the door to get help...

A hand grabbed his neck and slammed him into the lockers. The possessed brunette was back, along with some others. With unexplainable strength, she commenced choking the already exhausted boy.

"Cannot escape." Her distorted voice came as a sickly sweet. Danny gasped for air, being pushed farther into the locker. Some chipped paint entered into his throat but he couldn't cough it up. Black spots started to appear even more frequently in his vision.

Before he could surrender himself to the darkness, her grip softened, allowing the raven-haired boy to cough and breathe. He wondered why the brunette had stopped. He glanced up to see her head turned away from him. The others followed suit, silence among their kin.

With the bit of freedom he had to move, the young ghost hybrid slowly turned his head to the right...

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**Teira: And that concludes, "Tasty." Heheheh. The evil cliffhanger! I would have had this chapter posted sooner but I was so tired from the trip back from camp. (yawns) But it was fun and exciting! **

**(hears screams of torment)**

**Teira: PSYCHO!**

**Psycho: What ever troubles you milady?**

**Teira: Why there's a hellhole there? **

**Psycho: Ah...well...There was this party you see...**

**Teira: I don't care what the excuse is but this hellhole has got to go now. If my father saw this... (Father enter basement and gasp. Quickly replaced by angry stare) I'm so grounded.**

**Father: You are not so grounded. (hugs Teira) I'm proud of you! You've successfully hid a portal to hell without my knowledge!  
**

**Teira: (WTF? expression) Ah. Well stranger things have occured in the Runes-Klein household, so why am I creeped out?**

**Psycho & Kitty: Because your father is hugging you and kissing you repeatedly.**

**Teira: (expressionless face) That sounds about right. Well, I must go now. Please review or PM myself. I would love to hear your thoughts on this story. **

**Until next time, thank you and adieu faithful readers.  
**


	5. Kuroi Chou

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, period.**

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Not even five meters away was the ever observant silhouette, donned in all black.

Their biker-gloved hands were in fists, their heavy combat boots thud against the plastic floor. Baggy trip pants with blue accents bellowed in their wake. The drawstrings of the simple sweat jacket they wore bounced in rhythm as they calmly continued their approach. A hood shadowed their face, only allowing those graceful lips to be revealed to their enemy.

A black butterfly fluttered towards the faceless person and landed on its shoulder. Suddenly it disappeared from this dimension.

The possessed girl narrowed her eyes at the stranger. This being was a threat. They wanted the human as her kin wanted him. Its scent was beautiful, unique. And its life energy was ever so a bittersweet taste from its experiences. There were few humans that had such riped energy as such a young age. They wouldn't give it up so easily to the likes of this stranger.

"Mine!" they shrieked at the newcomer. The possessed towards them, leaving the demented freshman girl with poor Danny.

"Shoukan," a young feminine voice droned from the stranger, holding her crossed arms out in front of her. Two-foot curved silver blades faded into the third dimension, however remained transparent in her hands. A transparent azure chain connected the two twin blades that floated around her being, defying the gravity of this world. (1)

A chain blade.

In a mere three seconds, the mysterious girl seemingly transported herself right next to the predator and its prey. The hazel-eyed girl gasped as black mists floated out of the possessed humans. The bodies fell to the floor unconscious.

Shock was tentative. She hissed at the black-clad girl in a warning to leave her and her prey be.

"Mine!" she screamed at her, baring all teeth. "Mine!"

The stranger remained unaffected by the possessed girl's shouts, her lips remaining in a thin line. She took a step closer and with lips unmoving commanded, **"**Wo kurushi meteiru kodomo tachiwo kaihou shimasu." (2)

_'Japanese?'_ he mused, trying his best not to fall into a deep slumber now. He could only guess it was something his captor didn't want to do.

"Kesshite nai!" The possessed girl snarled with anger as she went to lunge. (3)

In a blink of an eye, the raging girl stopped with the mysterious girl off to the side. A transparent tip of a blade poked out of the back of the stunned girl's right side. The sound of a screaming banshee escaped the tormented girl's mouth.

"Jouka," she deadpanned. (4) The freshman girl went limp as a black mist left the body with a cry of pain. The black-clad girl quickly withdrew her weapon from the body as the unconscious brunette fell to the floor.

Ocean blue eyes widened not only at the fact the weapon didn't wound the brunette but also the sight of the precious blue life energy began to return to their rightful owners, including himself.

The faceless girl turned to the fallen teen hero and bowed her head in acknowledgement. Then she began to walk away from the confused boy, her transparent chain blade floating about her person in a protective gesture.

"Wait!" he called to her. The thud of the combat boots stopped, her back towards the imploring eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked with curiosity. "Why did you intervene?"

She remained silent for while, her body language remained unchanged. Just when Danny thought she wasn't going to answer or didn't understand, her emotionless voice pierced through his ears.

"Kuroi Chou," she said. "The Black Butterfly."

His eyes narrowed in frustration since it seemed she wouldn't give anymore information than her name or alias. But she only paused to sigh as she continued.

"And those were called dark spirits."

The frustration in his face left as more questions filled his brain: They never attacked us before, whatever they are so why now? What is their goal? How come she knows so much? Is she in league with these 'dark spirits'? What does all this even mean? Is she even telling the truth?

Before he could interrogate her more, the sound of heavy footsteps and shouts filled the hallway, interrupting his intentions. His face lit up as emergency people, his family, and his friends ran towards him from the stairwell.

His dad, Mr. Fenton, helped him to his feet as the paramedics began treating the unconscious. His family and friends hugged him, glad he was safe and unharmed for the most part.

"Are you sure you're okay?" his mother asked as she looked over her youngest child.

A small reassuring smile played in Danny's features. "I'm fine Mom. Just a bit tired is all. How's everyone outside?"

"They're okay," Jazz replied with frustration. "Geez Danny, worry about yourself for once!"

"That's kind of hard to do when you have a hero complex."

Lavender eyes looked it him with more worry than usual. "What caused everyone to collapse all of a sudden?"

He hesitated in answering, not sure if he should say what he learned from some girl that maybe less than honest or what he had saw beforehand. Needless to say that he chose the latter.

"It may sound crazy but it looked like black mists."

"Black mists..." Sam repeated, her face scrunched up as she attempted to retrieve some long-lost memory. What memory, Danny wasn't quite sure. However knowing Sam's interest in Gothic literature, it wouldn't surprised the boy if she came across something like those _things_.

As they were about to goes down the stairs to the ground floor, his eyes searched for that―what was her name, oh yea, Kuroi Chou―girl.

She was gone.

'_Must have took advantage of the confusion to get away,'_ he thought. _'But I have a sinking feeling that I will be meeting her again.'_

-----

At night, shadows are prominent; no one can escape them. The shadows scare humans, for they have no clue what dwells in them. They don't understand that not all evil resides in the darkness. That not everything is black or white.

Sometimes they are in the light, masking their sickening deeds with façades of innocence. But she knows the truth. She could see it in their auras, their tainted souls.

She sighed as her heavy combat boots trudged along the quiet, deserted streets, hands stuffed in her pant pockets. Two small pale blue dots briefly glowed through the shadow of her hood.

She stopped in front of a gloomy red brick Victorian house that sat a few houses down and across the street over from FentonWorks. Its windows were shattered as the white trimming peeled off. The porch was in disarray with syringes scattered about it. The door creaked open and close as the nightly breeze blew. The tire swing tied to the branch of the big oak tree drifted back and forth solemnly.

"Shoukan," her voice commanded as the chain blade was once again summoned. In one swift move, she turned around and had a blade at the neck of her would-be attacker.

The young man was composed, even with a blade to his neck. A breeze caught several strands of his violet hair. Shadows danced around the two adversaries as the night atmosphere became tensed. A smirk crept onto his face as taunting glimmered in his black eyes.

"You must be that annoying wretch, Kuroi Chou?" he assumed, flashing her a twisted smile.

"You and your stinking kin leave this place," she demanded, her lips moving in sync with her words. "Or else!" He chuckled at the girl and advanced towards her.

"You can't protect him forever, you know," his voice cooed, leaning in towards her.

The grip on her weapon intensified. "No one said I was protecting him. Why would I protect a boy who has ectoplasm running through his veins?"

"Oh, my mistake," the boy brandished his own weapon--a katana. "Then what is it do you protect, child?"

"None of your business spirit filth!" she spat. He did not have a chance to put up a defense as the azure chain coiled around his neck.

His shrieks of agony echoed throughout the night as he was engulfed by royal blue flames. "My master will conquer again!"

"Not if I have any to say about it," she deadpanned once more, her lips remained unmoved. She walked away from the flames, disappearing into the shadows once more.

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**Danny's right about it being Japanese. Sorry if it seems Mary-Sue for Kuroi Chou to speak Japanese. **

**1: Summon.**

**2: Release the children you have tormented.**

**3: Never!**

**4: Cleanse.**

**So how are you guys liking the story so far? It will be nice if you guys reviewed or PM me about your thoughts and suggestions. **


	6. Intriguing

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Danny Phantom. T_T**

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_'I sensed it around here...'_

A blur of black and silver raced down the street to where the shriek was heard. Neon green eyes could see the royal blue flames crackling not even ten feet ahead of them. Once again, the disdained odor of earth and rotting flesh assaulted his nostrils with no mercy. A cough escaped his throat due to the sickening stench.

_'What the heck happened here?'_ he gasped at the scene before him. Seeing no one in the flames, the teenager turned to leave only to catch movement in his peripheral vision.

However when he turned to get a better look, there was nothing there.

_'I need some sleep,'_ he thought as he yawned and stretched. With that notion in his head, he flew back home, still having an uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched.

-----

_He could feel the soft grass on which he laid upon, the dying warmth of the sun on his eyelids. He could feel the cool breezes sweep across his clothes and hair. _

_His eyelids fluttered open to see streaks of ruby, orange, and violet stretched across the evening sky. Wisps of clouds floated aimlessly as the north star twinkled in its rightful place. He sighed with relaxation, placing his folded hands behind his head._

_'_This is one nice dream,' _he mused, a lazy smile wiped across his face. Stretching his limbs, he yawned. '_I could stay here a little while longer...' _ A cry from behind him pushed him away from his thoughts._

_"Huh?" He sat up and looked behind him. _

_By the evergreen tree stood a silhouette of a young woman. She looked up to him with bright crimson tears running from two despairing midnight blue eyes. He gasped at the sight as she tried to reach for him longingly._

"_Daniel...Remember..." her soft tenderly voice echoed._

"_Remember what?" he implored in confusion._

_She started to fade away as one of her bloody tears fell to the soil. _

_The sky began to darken, lightning and thunder making their presence known. The once innocent, benevolent breezes transformed into malicious, vengeful winds. The ground upon he stood was now black, the soft green grass was no more. _

_"What's going on?" he cried, trying to shield himself from the howling wind._

_A sinister laughter rang out, as black clouds resembling claws headed towards him. He dodged the first assault. He tried to fire an ectoblast in retaliation but..._

_"What! My powers don't work?" he exclaimed in vexation as he dodged again and began to run. The ground started to crack underneath him as a vile voice hissed tauntingly, "You're mine Daniel!"_

_The ground split open with the smell of rotting flesh assaulted his nostrils. A claw grabbed him as the darkness penetrated into the very depths of his soul..._

_-----_

Danny cried out for a start as his alarm clock blared in the background. He panted as he raised a shaking hand to his heart in an attempt to calm down.

"Relax...It was just a nightmare," he told himself, sighing shakily. "Great, now I'm talking to myself."

"Danny!" He jumped up, startled with the voice shouting from behind his bedroom door. "Is everything okay?"

He let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. It was just his mother being concerned about his well being as usual.

"Danny you okay?" her voice asked again from behind the door. "I heard a yelp in there."

"I'm fine," he assured her and himself. "Just being clumsy. Heh."

"Okay, sweetie."

He heard his mother's steps depart from his door. His muscles relaxed—somewhat—and he began the morning ritual of getting ready for school. In over twenty minutes, he was downstairs, physically ready to head to school. As for emotionally and mentally...well...as about ready as one can after a nightmare and just being a teenage hero.

"Eat something," his mother demanded.

"Yes ma'am," he said dejectedly. He sat down and began downing all his toast and eggs in less than three minutes.

"Ah Danny?"

With a mouthful of food, he made some noise to acknowledge that he was listening.

"There's no school today." He stopped chewing as his ears went red. "So you can slow down."

He nodded his head in embarrassment as he continued to eat his breakfast at a much slower pace.

-----

In a mansion on the other side of town, an elderly woman and a certain Goth girl were talking in the private library.

"Dreams you say?" the elderly woman asked her granddaughter with concern as she looked through the bookshelves.

The black-haired girl nodded in response. "About these black mists," she paused as she took a shaky breath, hands in fists. "They...grabbed Danny and...there was nothing I could do. He just faded away in my grasp..."

The grandmother stopped in her search and turned to her granddaughter. Her voice was grave. "Did you see them Sam? Were they just black mists?"

"No. They smelled and looked as real as you and I in my dream. I woke up, thinking the stench was there in the room but nothing. And I saw them at school, leaving," a sigh as Sam looked down at her hands. "Am I going crazy?"

A heavy sigh escaped from the elder woman. "No Sam. Sadly, you're not."

"What do you mean?" A silence of anticipation fell onto the library. It seemed as though both sides knew what was to happen but delaying.

"Remember the one story I told you about? When you were little?" Sam's grandmother said as she took one of the many tomes from its bookshelf.

"Truthfully, not really. It had something to do with spirits but," Sam paused, looking at her grandmother as she sat down. "That's just legend, right? There's just ghosts."

"I'm afraid not, my dear." She looked at Sam sternly. "Spirits exist. And so do the _Tamashii No Me_--Soul Eyes--which you possess."

Obviously, the Goth girl looked at her grandmother disbelievingly. "Soul Eyes? What's that? Another legend?"

"Soul Eyes are exactly that—the eyes of your soul. When a person has a near death experience, their eyes are opened. That's why you hear about people seeing things that haven't seen before after meeting their mortality. You remember how your birth was right? So they aren't legend."

"So those black mists were 'demons'?"

"I don't know. You should talk to Danny about it. I have a feeling your discussion will prove to be fruitful."

"Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome." Without a moment's notice, Sam Manson raced to the phone to call Danny for a talk.

Unknown to the two parties, outside the window was Kuroi Chou, watching the conversation unfold.

_Hum...Intriguing... _

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**It was a filler but I'm being pummeled with plot bunnies like crazy. And some of the things mentioned here will be important for later chapters.**

**And school will be starting in a couple days for me so yeah. I'll try to keep with the updates.**

**So thanks for reading and please review! ^_^  
**


	7. Need Some Assistance?

**Disclaimer: Don't own Danny Phantom. Just the people you don't recognize.**

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**

"The park in thirty minutes?" the raven-haired boy asked into the receiver. He paused to listen to his friend on the other line.

"Do you want everyone else to come? I mean, it makes sense...Okay, just us...Alright, I'll be there...See you there," he sighed as he hung up the phone. _ 'I still don't understand why not include everyone else though... But then I shouldn't be saying anything...'_

"I'm heading to park!" he shouted throughout the house. Jazz peeked into the hallway from the living room.

"Do you want a ride?" she asked.

"There's no need to..." The redhead held up her hand to silence him as she shook her head. A small smile wiped on her face.

"Don't worry about it," she assured, her turquoise purse in her hand. "I'm going out anyway. Meeting with a friend of mine."

Danny simply rose an eyebrow, then joked. "You have friends?"

"Do you want the ride or not?" Her hands were on her hips.

He waved her off. "Thanks but I rather fly."

Before Jazz could say another thing, the younger teen had transformed to his alter ego and phased through the ceiling. She sighed heavily.

"Honestly..." She was cut off by the doorbell. She walked towards the door.

_'Who could that be?' _she wondered as she turned the nob.

-----

Flying was one of Danny's joys. The feeling of defying gravity was overwhelming and felt free. When he was in the sky, it felt at peace. He didn't feel like a freak or an outcast. No one labeled him or judged him. For those moments in flight, he truly was himself, without any secrets or burdens.

Just a teenage boy enjoying a Tuesday afternoon.

As he landed near he and his friends' favorite spot in the park, he looked warily for any fan girls trying to harass him. Memories of being tackled by numerous girls on the first day back to school after the Disasteroid still haunted him.

Luckily for him, they didn't know of this place in the park.

Danny laid back in the grass with his neon green eyes closed. He hummed some tune that had been on the radio that morning as he waited for Sam.

Nevertheless, his conscience began to take up the serene environment.

_'What does Sam want to talk to me about? What's with this Kuroi Chou girl? And these 'dark spirits'? And that dream...' _ He opened his eyes to the azure sky as he thought back to the girl with crimson tears.

_'What am I to remember?'_

"Danny?"

The teen hero was brought out of his musings by his purpose of being there. He sat up to look at his friend since second grade.

"Sam..." For knowing her that long, he sensed something was wrong—from her lavender eyes to her overall body language.

"There is something I need to tell you," she started to say.

Then her breath hitched as she took a step back. His concern eyes scrutinized his friend as he stood up. He extended his hand towards her stiffened form.

"What's wrong? Sam?"

Her lavender eyes were filled with horror and fright, looking pass the glowing teenage boy. She felt that she suffocating as the stench of decaying flesh hanged in the air.

"**Them**..." she managed to whisper. Danny's eyes narrowed as he turned around to face the enemy.

-----

"Hana, you didn't need to come," Jazz insisted as she let the seventeen-year-old into the Fenton household. "I would have happily met you at the library."

"I know," the girl said as she released her short chestnut brown hair from her orange hat. "But I wanted to see why you were always looking for an excuse to isolate yourself from your family."

The corner of the redhead's mouth twitched in nervousness. "You don't say?"

"We're both studying the human psyche," she began as she looked at the older teen with tiger-like eyes. "So I was curious. Shoot me."

They chuckled as they began to go to Jazz's room. However, that wouldn't be so easily done.

"Jazzypants! Who do you have here?" came the booming voice of Jack Fenton. The two girls stopped in their tracks.

_'Crap,' _Jazz thought. _ 'Why does my father have the uncanny ability to show up at the wrong time?' _

Hana turned around with a gentle smile. "I'm Hana Suzumiya, a Japanese-American."

"Nice to meet you Hana," the orange-suited man greeted.

The blue-eyed teen interrupted. "And Hana is grateful to have met you. Now if you excuse us Dad, we have some studying to do."

"Oh sure," Jack said. "Go right ahead. Don't let me stop you."

_'But you did,'_ came Jazz's mental retort as she pushed her friend upstairs to her room. Quickly she shut the door.

"So that's why," the tiger-eyed girl stated in awe.

"That reminds me," Jazz began, a thoughtful finger on her chin. "How's your sister?"

The girl sat on her friend's bed, staring at her hands. "She'll be released tomorrow morning."

"Why are you so down though?" the eldest Fenton child asked. "That's great."

"I know but she's still acting strange. She won't talk to me. She'll just lay there, in her hospital bed, refusing to look directly at me."

"Why do you think that is?"

The Japanese-American sighed. "Truthfully, I don't know. It's almost as if she's hiding something from me... As if she protecting me from some hidden truth. I can sense it."

"Maybe I can talk to her again," the redhead thought aloud. "She seemed so lively when I came the day after she was admitted."

The uncertain face of the Hana transformed to that of delight. "I think she'll like that."

-----

There were about twenty of **them**, emerging from the shadows of the trees. Black abysses were contained in their eyes—their fate of long ago.

Subconsciously, the young hybrid stood between the Goth teenage girl the threatening entities.

"Dark spirits..." he spat with distaste as he gathered ecto-plasmic energy in his hands.

"Dark spirits are what they're called?" Sam wondered aloud.

A taunting chuckle was heard among them...

Of a young boy?

Sure enough, among the shapeless entities was a boy no other than eight years old. His dull emerald eyes stared at the two teenagers in front of him with amusement.

"You don't learn well from your experiences," the brunette boy asked, an elegant small finger curled at his chin, "do you Phantom?"

"Who are you?" Danny demanded, building the energy in his hands more so. "What do you want?"

The devious boy took a step towards the teen hero. A smirk crept across his face.

"His identity is of no importance in this meeting," the boy twirled a strand of hair on his finger. "As for what we want, I think it's rather obvious."

The possessed boy's eyes connected with lavender. "Isn't it, Samantha?"

If the Goth girl's body became anymore stiff, one may think that she had achieved rigor mortis while still alive. Sweat formed on her brow as her best friend turned towards her.

Confused, he asked, "What do they mean Sam?" A pause. "Wait, you can see them?"

The boy laughed at Danny's seemingly oblivious nature. "And the winner for being the most clueless goes to Phantom!" he stopped to take a breath. "Of course she can see us. She has the_Tamashii No Me_, or rather Soul Eyes. Don't be too harsh on her though. She only recently learned of that."

Then the young boy's false self melted away to his true personality as a cunning look appeared on his face. "But as for the other thing... She was probably trying to protect you or didn't feel it was that important to tell you. Who knows. Never understood mortal girls."

Danny looked his friend dead in the eye, grasping her shoulders. "What do they mean Sam? What do they want?"

Mimicking the older boy's voice, the kid repeated his questions to the girl.

Her ebony bangs covered her eyes in shame. "They want... you."

"Ding, ding, ding! Correct answer," the boy shouted with false glee as he rose an arm into the air. "Now attack my fellow fiends!"

Grabbing Sam, the ghostly teen barely dodged the first attack. He fired an ice beam at the threatening entities, only to have some effect.

"Ice!" The boy chuckled. "At least you've learned something. But what good is an ice attack..."

Before either teen knew what happened, it was a possessed girl that was at Danny's ear. Without hesitation, she grabbed both of their necks with mocking eyes.

"...when all we feel is cold?"

Wisps of azure blue mist left the two struggling teens as they tried to cry out in anguish. Her dark brown eyes held a predatory gleam.

"That's why we **love** humans... They're so warm... Even their life energy is warm... And they're all so happy... What's the problem of us wanting to feel that warmth?"

The now possessed girl's breath stopped as she felt the urge to let go of the struggling teens. She reverted a boy once more.

"If you truly loved humans and their warmth, you wouldn't take it from them," answered a young feminine voice. "Your 'love' is envy."

All heads turned towards the source.

And to their rear was the familiar figure of...

"Kuroi Chou..." Danny whispered in wonder as Sam and him stared at the strange black-donned girl that stood several yards away.

_In need of some assistance?_

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**Sorry it has been so long but school is really being a killer. For instance, I should be working on a literary criticism essay but I'm not. ^_^;;**

**Thanks for reading and please review!  
**


	8. Known and Handled

**Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it?**

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_'How did she...? Why...?' _

Another chuckle escaped from the young boy. "So this is the rumored Kuroi Chou, eh? Who slain thirty dark spirits in one move? All I see is a young girl trying to play hero."

Her lips and voice remained still as the azure chain blade appeared in her biker-gloved hands. She moved into an attack posture.

"Wanting to die so young?" the brunette purred. "Let me grant your last wish."

Without lifting a finger, fifteen of the dark spirits went towards the lone girl.

"Don't just stand there!" Danny yelled. "Go! Don't worry about us!"

His words seemed not to have any affect on the girl as she, herself, charged towards the predatory creatures of the supernatural.

Screams of torment and royal blue flames littered the battlefield. Kuroi Chou wielded her chain blade with such grace that it seemed to be a form of contemporary dance.

One of the dark spirits tried to attack her from behind but she collided his body with another. Another dark spirit leaped up in the air for an aerial assault. Like a lasso, the stoic girl threw and wrapped the spirit in azure chains. It screamed as orange flames engulfed it.

When all was said and done, Kuroi Chou walked through the wall of royal blue and crimson flames, unharmed.

She slowly advanced to the remaining five dark spirits, the possessed boy, and their prey. With lips unmoving, she pointed her blade towards the group.

"Release them, spirit filth," she demanded, lips remained unmoved. After seeing what happened to their comrades, the dark spirits weren't sure what to do. The boy's lifeless emerald eyes glimmered with delight.

"So the rumors were truth?" he asked. "Definitely have lived up to your—"

She took another step towards them. "I will not repeat myself again. Release all of them, including the boy and girl that act as your disguise."

A chuckle as he let go of the two teens. He stood with a sinister smile, gesturing to himself. "This boy is already dead. Just taking his look for a good run."

Her lips became a thin line. Without warning, she lunged herself forward, cutting down the five remaining shapeless entities before they knew what had happened. She had one of the two-foot blades at the boy's neck, black mist seeping from the wound.

"You act without mercy with other dark spirits but you hesitate now," the boy commented as a smirk crept across his face. "Why is that, Kuroi Chou? Am I too human?"

His nails elongated and his teeth sharpened. His emerald eyes were replaced with onyx as he became his true form...

If one could see the strange girl's eyes, they would have been narrowed as her voice hissed, "Another level-two dark spirit..."

He chuckled as she jumped away from his strike. "Is it because you're human?"

She didn't comment as her grip on her chain blade tightened. She dodged another assault.

"Your silence intrigues me," he said. "Is it true? Are you mortal?"

Kuroi Chou bit her lip as she saw the unconscious forms of Sam Manson and Danny Fenton.

Using this opportunity, the insane dark spirit lunged at her, his claws cutting her at her side.

She bit back a cry of pain as the stinging sensation radiated into where should be her ribs. She jumped away as a few drops of blood stained the ground.

"So the great Kuroi Chou does bleed," adding in disgust, "A mortal cutting us down. Let I be the one to cut you down."

A 'humph' escaped her lips as one of its corners turned up in a smile. "I'll like to see you try. All you dark spirits are the same."

Insulted, he lunged at her again. "Why you—"

He stopped as he saw her blade penetrating his forehead. His face was of pure shock and horror as he stared at the cool face of his assailant.

"You..." he managed to say.

"Jouka," she droned. At that, the dark spirit engulfed in royal blue flames as wisps of blue mist escaped, returning to Danny and Sam.

Two souls appeared before her, one of a boy with lively emerald eyes and of a girl with dark brown eyes. They bowed to her in thanks with huge grins on their faces.

For the first time, a genuine smile graced her lips as she bowed to them as well. She could feel dove feathers brush against her cheek as the two children laughed their way to Heaven.

"Kuroi Chou?" The girl straightened up, her smile gone like a cool breeze in the summer. She whipped around to see a very conscious Phantom and his Gothic friend standing nearby.

"You're bleeding..." the lavender-eyed teen noticed, pulling out a first aid kit from her bag. "Let me—"

"I'll be fine," the chain blade wielding girl's voice deadpanned. The two teens looked at her with disbelief. Couldn't the girl see that her wound might get infected if it's not treated soon?

"But you're hurt," Phantom began but was interrupted.

"I'm not your friend," her voice stated, a breeze rustling her black attire. "You have no ties with me nor I to you." She paused as she turned away. "So don't waste your time left on this earth with the likes of I."

"What do you—?" Sam asked then paused in realization. "The 'dark spirits' want him... but for what?"

Only one word left her unmoving lips as she walked away: "Sacrifice."

The two teenagers stared at each other in confusion as Kuroi Chou went to her home in the shadows.

-----

_A few days later..._

Someone knocked on the door to the Suzumiya apartment as a young Asian teenage girl laid on the couch with a manga in her hands. Her socked feet were dangling off the armrest, a blanket draped over her half-developed body. She glanced from a drawing of a girl in the manga she was reading and placed a hand over her chest.

"I wish I had, at least, a C-cup," the girl mumbled to herself as she sighed. _'That won't happen until I'm eighteen... Even if I tried...' _ Silver eyes looked up from the manga to the door and glared.

_'What do they want? And Hana better not think that I'm getting that...'_

A voice in another room called to her to prove her otherwise. "Mikara, can you get that for me? It's Jazz." _ 'Figured as much...'_

An irritated look wiped across the blunette's face as she tried to concentrate on her manga through the constant knocking. "Why can't you get it? She's **your** friend."

More knocking but louder followed by a sigh in the other room. "Please, just get the door. I'll be out soon anyway."

"Fine." Mikara sighed as she sat up and dragged herself to the door. She looked through the peephole and sure enough, it was Jazz Fenton with a smile on her face.

"The things I do for that girl... What am I, her butler?" The girl continued mumbling unpleasant things as she unchained and unlocked the door. She opened the door with an indifferent expression on her face.

"Yo," she greeted half-heartedly as she let the older girl into the apartment.

Once the redhead was inside, she quickly locked the door and sneaked a piece of paper back into its place. She went to her place on the couch and snatched her manga. She began to read it from where she left off before she was interrupted.

She felt a tinge that one would get if they were being watched. She sighed and turned. As she suspected, it was Jazz, staring at her with a smile.

"What are you reading?" she queried with interest.

"Manga," she answered, getting uncomfortable with someone staring while she read. _ 'Please don't ask anymore...'_

"What's it about?" _'She's trying to psychoanalyze me... Like Hana...'_

The younger girl scoffed. "Nothing you're interested in..."

"Try me."

She rose an eyebrow at the young adult then explained, "It's about this boy who has a secret hijutsu art bound to him and he wants to get rid of it."

Confusion was spelled all over the redhead's face. "What's hijutsu?"

"A level higher than ninjutsu. It's used by ninjas." She sighed. "But he used it to grant someone's wish so it may be a bit more difficult to separate himself from it now."

"What's it called?"

"What? The hijutsu?"

"No, the series."

"Oh, Nabari no Ou," the blunette stated in a matter-of-fact tone. _'I would've said 'read the cover' but she doesn't know Japanese...'_

A laugh rang through their ears. "I see Mikara is trying to get you hooked on one of her favorite pastimes."

"Seems that way, doesn't it?" Jazz commented.

The girl in question scowled. "Don't embarrass me Hana. Because I can do the same to you."

The older Japanese girl waved her off. "Whatever. So Jazz, how's things at home? And with your sibling?"

"Strange as usual. However, he and Sam were attacked by those black mists—what did you call them, dark spirits?—again Tuesday. Neither would say what happened."

She nodded affirmatively and gravely. "They're beings that leech off the warmth of the living and the power of the soul. For Danny to be attacked a second time would mean that he has something they want. Him being half-human, half-ghost doesn't help. But why? Dark spirits despise ghosts and their ectoplasm..."

Mikara mumbled something incoherent as she buried herself into her manga.

"What did you say?" Hana asked only for the silver-eyed teenager to remain silent. "What are you keeping from me?"

"Why do you keep thinking that?" the girl asked bewildered. "I was just commenting on what had happened in the manga."

Hana put her hands on her hips. "Don't give me that! All through the hospital stay, you barely said two words to me."

"Have you ever considered that maybe, just maybe, I wasn't in the talking mood, hm?" Mikara questioned, eyes narrowed. "Because the fact that I was in the hospital for a couple weeks for who-knows-what-for-anymore seemingly doesn't effect that mood."

"But you talked with me," Jazz added.

"I don't know what Hana's told you but," the younger teenager paused, clearly agitated. "Never mind. I have make-up work to finish for Monday."

And with that, Mikara went to her room to study, leaving the two older girls bewildered. The redhead decided to break the silence.

"I guess we should follow her example and study," she suggested to the other girl. A heavy sigh came from Hana.

"Yeah," she reluctantly agreed as she pulled out her own study materials. As the study session went on, the brunette's mind couldn't help but wonder to her younger sibling.

_'What's going in with you, little sis?'_ she thought as she bit the eraser of her pencil in a futile attempt to concentrate.

-----

The hall was shadowed with only a few flickers of azure blue flames. Another torch was lit as whispers floated among the darkened cavern. A small golden orb glowed, a rumbling heard.

"Where is this boy that you speak of?" a hoarse, deep voice demanded one of the dark spirits to explain. "Our master is growing impatient."

Pushed to the front by its peers, a small entity stood before the entity that they hold the highest regard for. He knelt at the entity's feet in homage.

"Lord, there seems to be a bit of a complication in that plan..."

"Nonsense!" it bellowed. "The boy cannot defend himself against us. He should have been in the master's palm by now."

The malevolent underling bit back a snarl. "We didn't calculate the possibility of a certain individual to intervene."

"Who? The Time Ghost?"

"No. A girl who wields a transparent chain blade," the servant informed. "The one who calls herself Kuroi Chou."

The "lord" looked at the servant with midnight-blue eyes of amusement. "You mean to tell me that you couldn't handle a mere human girl?"

Another dark spirit came up to the other's side and fell on their knees as well. "With all due respect, we believe that she's far from human. To have slain so many of our brethren and with such grace? No human can do that."

A silence fell upon them as their "lord" thought.

"Learn more about the boy," he finally said as he turned away from the congregation of dark spirits. He began walking away as a signal that they were dismissed.

However, that wasn't satisfying enough for them.

"What about Kuroi Chou?" one of them asked.

Only three words emitted from his mouth as he began to transfigured into his human disguise.

"Known and handled."

* * *

**Another update the next day! Awesomeness! And lucky for you readers.**** But don't get your hopes up. I'm in for one heck of ride for the remainder of this week. School and activities just are wedging their way between me and fanfiction.**

**Question: What do you guys think of my OCs--Hana, Kuroi Chou, and Mikara? Are they too Mary-Sue? If they are, please let me know and I'll try my best to change it. **

**Anyway, I have to go now. The life of a student is never done! **

**Thanks for reading and please review! **

**Ja!  
**


	9. Uncertain Feelings

**Disclaimer: T_T I don't own. Period.**

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Saturday mornings. Anyone can relate to the ritual of waking up early to catch the cartoons that would air for those who didn't have cable TV.

But as one became older, they realized how stupid or pointless the cartoons are to the point it wasn't worth it. Then they would get a job or sleep in until noon.

For Valerie Gray, it was the job.

It really annoyed her that she had to work at the Nasty Burger every Saturday morning, but if it helped her pay for college...

She sighed as she waited at the bus stop for the 9:45 to arrive. Her father offered to give her a ride but she wanted to assert her independence, thus taking the public transit.

She glanced at her watch. _ 'The bus should be here in ten minutes...' _

A car pulling up near the bus stop, a turquoise Hyundai Ascent to be exact. It wasn't glamorous; it ran as any used car would.

Valerie smiled knowingly as the car door opened. _'This is why I put up with it...'_

Out of the passenger door came a young teenage girl with a small blue drawstring backpack. She wore a heavy, forest green-hooded jacket due to the chilled late autumn morning, along with flaring navy blue jeans and a pair of brown Converses. Her dyed-midnight-blue hair was in a high ponytail with numerous hair clips to keep strands in place.

The Asian teen and the hidden driver exchanged a few words before they parted. The car drove down the street, out of sight. An exasperated sigh escaped from the dyed-bluenette as she sat next to Valerie.

"Hey Mikara. It's nice to see you finally out of the hospital," the girl of African descent stated nonchalantly. "But I guess your sister is still being overprotective as usual."

An irritated look wiped across the younger girl's face. "You have no idea. She hangs out with that Jazz girl too much," she paused. "She over-analyzes things about me and immediately thinks I'm hiding something from her."

Valerie gave her a stern look. "Well, are you?"

Almost in a matter of seconds, Mikara's facial expression softened as her lively silver eyes filled with melancholy. "No... At least I don't think so. I feel as though something or someone is being hidden from me..."

An eyebrow rose out of confusion. "Hidden from you?"

She shrugged, her demeanor changing in a drop of a hat. "Who knows. It's probably not that big of a deal." She stretched and yawned, her sleeves rolling up to reveal a couple band-aids. "So what's been happening with you?"

Valerie turned away to look for the bus. "Other than the strange attacks on the school Monday and towards Danny the day after, everything has been relatively normal. Apparently the annoying things can't be seen by ordinary humans."

Mikara nodded with recognition. "Hana was talking to Jazz about it the other day. She believes wholeheartedly that they are what my grandfather calls, 'dark spirits'. She can see them, I think."

The girl turned back to her. "Can you?"

Midnight-blue locks swished in motion as she shook her head. "I'm just sensitive to their presence. It might be a blessing that I can't see them," she sighed, downcast. "But Hana remarked over dinner last night that the lack of light spirits—their opposite—around indicates something's off in the supernatural world. And I can't push down this feeling of dread of what the future holds."

The sound of a large engine prevented the brunette from saying anything as the two looked to see the 9:45 bus to Amity Park pull up to their stop. The indifferent bus driver opened the doors with a _swoosh_ and Valerie boarded. She looked back to the dyed-blunette, still outside.

"Aren't you getting on?" Valerie asked, an eyebrow raised. The younger girl returned from wherever her mind was and smiled with a nod.

She climbed aboard and paid her fare. The doors closed shut as the bus sped away towards Amity Park.

-----

_Slam!_

_Crash!_

_Clang!_

"Dude, you've been doing this since seven! And it's a Saturday! Mind telling what's got you abandoning the sacred rite of sleeping in?" The tech-geek questioned as he sat in the Fenton's laboratory. He monitored his friend's training session in the simulation room that the Fentons had built right after learning about their youngest child's hybrid status.

The boy in question didn't respond as he blasted away another target, the pieces falling to the ground. He then proceeded to duplicate himself into three again for the fifth time that morning and took out another six guns locked onto him simultaneously. He dodged a few ecto-plasmic rays from several other weapons.

"Nothing. Just trying to improve on my skills," the white-haired teen droned, narrowly missing a few shoots fired at him.

The sound of air being sucked through teeth crackled onto the intercom of the simulation room as the computer notified the two that the simulation was on pause. "Yeah right. Any other time, you would've saved it for the afternoon and sleep the morning away. Did it have anything to do with what happened on Monday and Tuesday?"

A dejected sigh emitted from the young hybrid. As much as he wished he could evade the question, he knew that Tucker would keep pestering him until he just admitted something was wrong.

So he cut to the chase. "Yes Tucker. What happened those two days bothers me. I couldn't protect myself, Sam, or anyone else from those things."

"But you made it out alive," his best friend pointed out.

"Not without some outside help," he mumbled but Tucker heard it.

"From who?" he asked. "A ghost?"

The young hero rolled his eyes. "Ghosts are afraid to come here because of those _things_ so why would it be a ghost?"

"Point taken. Then who?" Danny hesitated.

Did he really want to tell Tucker that he had his life and others saved by some strange girl who wields a transparent weapon? He could already imagine his friend's disbelief and then wanting her number so he could date her.

That didn't mean that Danny wasn't curious about who this 'Kuroi Chou' really was. It's just that he found it rather embarrassing that he, the hero of Amity Park and the world, was saved by a girl. Talk about a wound to a guy's pride!

In the end, he didn't say anything except, "An ally, I suppose."

-----

Amity Park Public Library.

A wonderful, vast institution filled with books of all genres, of all ideas lined among their shelves. The shelves themselves were numerous as the spines of books glimmered with the titles of _'Define Normal,' 'The Truth about Love,' 'Vampire Knight' _and many other books filled with tragedy, romance, articles, journals surrounded a person to the point it seemed as if one were submerged in the countless amounts of information.

The steady, rhythmic sound of wheels rolling down the aisles was common in the building as librarians and volunteers re-shelved borrowed books. This was easier said than done for there were times that books were shelved in the wrong place due to laziness or distractions.

And that's why Mikara Suzumiya, volunteer at Amity Park Library, doubled-checked, and tripled-checked that all the books she shelved were properly placed. She felt she needed to prove something to not only herself but to others that she was capable of doing an excellent job.

She was on one of the rolling ladders when a young chestnut-brown haired man at the end of the aisle called up to her. "Excuse me?"

"Yes sir?" she answered indifferently, softly pushing the ladder towards the man in a black overcoat. _'This guy is giving off bad vibes...'_ She descended down the rungs of the ladder. "Do you need anything?"

"Yes," the man replied. "This is the mythology section, right?"

Mikara nodded her head affirmatively. "We have anything from the ancient civilizations of mankind to common modern-day urban legends. Were you looking to write an essay of some sort on this subject?"

"Not really," the man's hazel eyes scrutinizing the young teenage girl in front of him. "I was just curious about a few things that I've heard around here. Is it true that there are things that prowl in the night, looking for human victims?"

The dyed-blunette rose an eyebrow and responded sardonically. "If you're referring to vampires, I'm sorry to say that you're in the wrong place. Try Forks, Washington. The vampires there sparkle."

"Very funny," the man of European descent said without amusement. "But I think you know what I mean."

"What do you mean?" Mikara asked, genuinely confused by the statement. "If it's ghosts, they don't frequent here that often anymore."

"If I remember the myth correctly they are beings that, '...lurk within the shadows, unseen by those who cannot see. Only the ghosts and those few humans who possess the _Tamashii no Me_ can see these dark entities. Unlike most supernatural beings—ghosts included—the full potential of their power and energy is obtained on a New Moon, when it is fatal to their victims...' Ring any bells?"

"Dark spirits..." the teen breathed, surprised there were people that knew of them beside her family, Valerie, and herself. "But how would you know of them?"

At that inquiry, the man just smirked knowingly. "Let's just say that I'm rather familiar with these entities. They had tried to kill me once before."

_'Did the bad vibes get stronger?'_ "That's bad luck."

"Well, yes it is but it can't be helped," he paused, moving closer to the dyed-blunette's personal bubble. "I've also heard that Danny Phantom has been attacked by them twice, only to be saved by an ally of some sort. By any chance...?"

Immediately did Mikara caught on to what he was doing, a familiar voice inside her confirming her suspicions. Silver eyes narrowed at the smirking gentleman accusingly. "You're trying to discredit Mr. Fenton, aren't you? To bring him down? Was that one of Masters' last orders?"

The man chuckled. "Not necessarily. But if the truth does that to him, well..." He shrugged nonchalantly, the smirk still on his face.

"Phantom has done the whole world a favor," she hissed, mentally surprising herself. "He has saved lives, including yours, twice over and who knows how many more. And you have the audacity to do such a thing to him?"

"The people have the right to know."

"Yes, the truth. But not the lies that people like you spew over the media. I detest liars."

He chuckled again with a smirk. "Welcome to the real world then, girlie. Not everything is fair. Sometimes you got to cheat and lie to make the numbers."

The Asian teenager continued to glare at the now retreating man with distaste. "I rather stay honest."

"Then you won't make it in this world," he said over his shoulder. "It's idealists like you and Phantom that won't survive the next New Moon."

He turned the corner as Mikara chased after him. "Wait! What do you mean?"

She turned the corner to find him gone!

"Wha—?" She muttered as she looked at the empty space in front of her. _'How did he...? Was he a ghost?' _

All of a sudden, she felt a comforting hand on her swaying shoulders. She looked up to see a familiar face.

"Kwan," she acknowledged the jock.

"Are you okay? Did he do anything to you? Because if he did..."

She half-smiled. "I'm fine, just a headache. Who was that guy?"

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "He's been around Amity Park for the past couple days, trying to get dirt on Danny. I wouldn't mind doing something like that, but what he's trying find is far from a prank."

She turned around to face the high school junior properly, a quick look of distaste towards Kwan before continuing. "He said something about an ally saving him all the time. And how he was saying it, it seemed to be someone else other than his usual friends."

"There are always people like that, anyway. So are you sure you're feeling better from before? They said they found you in the park."

She waved him off. "I'm fine, nothing to lose sleep over. How have your studies fair without me as your tutor?"

The elder teen cringed. "Don't say it so loud. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have someone in a lower grade than you helping you with your classes?"

"You also have to remember that I'm taking some of those same classes because I'm a bit advanced for a sophomore," she pointed out in some form of a confidence builder. "Besides, you do have a brain Mr. Chin."

"I know," he said. "It's just..."

"'...you choose not to use it so you can fit in.' As much as I'm going to sound like my sister and Jazz, I'm saying it anyway. Sometimes, you can't sacrifice things about yourself. If you do, you'll never truly be happy."

Kwan laughed as Mikara rose an eyebrow of concern. "I'm sorry. It's just that you sounded so wise, so much older than fifteen. More like fifty-one."

Her face turned a bright shade of pink as her silver eyes narrowed. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No," he replied without missing a beat. "That just shows why you're my tutor. So when can we get together to study?"

She bit her lip thoughtfully. "I'll have to get back to you on that. But shoot for Monday like always."

"Okay. Thanks... 'Mimi'," he said with a mischievous smile.

He exited the library followed by her shout of indignation, "Stop calling me that!"

Needless to say that earned her many stares and a _shush._

**------------**

**A/N: Sorry it has been a while since I've updated. (That is if you care T_T) I've been busy with the life that I recently obtained. **

**And sorry again that you got stuck with another filler chapter. This story is giving me grief to write.**

**Check out my collection of oneshots called, 'For the Love of DP'!**

**Until next time, adieu faithful readers.  
**


	10. Quite An Erratic Girl

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom nor "Lacrimosa" by Kalafina.**

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Valerie sighed as she rung up another customer's order at the Nasty Burger. It was so annoying to be standing there, listening to others' complaints and whatnot. The only thing that was keeping her sane was the fact that her shift would be ending soon.

As she felt another presence approached, she said her usual, emotionless welcome. However, it wouldn't be a customer oblivious.

"Hey Valerie," a familiar male voice said. She opened her eyes to see Kwan standing there. Immediately, she rolled her eyes.

"What do you want, Kwan?" she asked curtly. The boy looked offended.

"I can't say hi?" he said.

"No, you can't," she paused. "If you're looking for Dash—"

"No, it's not that. It's just...You know Mikara?"

Forest-green eyes widened in recognition. "Yes, why?"

The boy of Chinese descent smiled sheepishly. "She's sort of my tutor."

She raised her eyebrow. "If you're thinking what I—"

Kwan frantically waved his hands in front of him. "It's not like that at all! I just see her as a younger sister."

A skeptical, "Yeah sure," escaped her lips as she remembered the subject of hand. "So what about Mikara?"

"Has she been acting strange to you?"

Valerie took a pause as she looked at the clock.

4:50 pm... Ten minutes before the end of her shift.

"Can you wait in a booth for about ten minutes? My shift is about to end soon anyway."

The boy nodded in agreement as he found an empty booth to pass the time. The brunette sighed as she 'took care' of the customers who didn't care that the food they were digesting was probably killing them slowly.

She was about to get ready to turn the register over to another teenager when chestnut-brown locks caught her view.

"Excuse me, young miss," a seductive masculine voice said into her ear. "Valerie Gray is it?"

The girl froze at her spot, her eyes as wide as saucers. _'I forgot my name tag at home and I've_ _never met him before,'_ she thought. _'How does he know my name?'_

"I know you can hear me just fine," he leaned over the counter, into her personal bubble. "I was wondering if you knew anything about Phantom?"

She took a step back, annoyed by the closeness of the stranger. "I'm sorry but I can't help you," she turned away from him to look at Kwan. "I have things to do."

His hazel eyes bored into the back of her head, a smirk dancing in its gleam. "I'm sure you do, Miss. Gray. Meeting a friend of yours? Perhaps someone with midnight-blue hair?"

_'Mikara... What does she have to do with this? She's innocent...'_ With a cold voice, she hissed, "Leave now. If you're not ordering, then don't loiter around here."

An expression of mock hurt crept across his face. "And I was hoping you would be of help."

"Leave or do I have to contact my supervisor?" He looked around the restaurant. He received glares from all those he had approached in the past two days, including Kwan . He sighed dejectedly.

"I'm getting the vibe I'm not welcomed here anyway. I hope to talk to you soon, though," he paused as he stopped at the door. "Along with that nice friend of yours."

The fast food place remained silent as the stranger closed the door behind him. Signing off her shift, she approached the jock at the booth.

"He knows something," the boy said. "He threatened Mikara earlier."

Forest-green eyes narrowed. _'How dare he!'_

"That jerk," she managed to say out of her anger. "What did she do to deserve that?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing, just defending Danny. Which is funny since she rarely mentions him or looks like she cares. She's not a fan girl either."

A soft chuckle escaped her lips. "That's Mikara for you. She cares and worries about everyone in her own special way. She just doesn't show it unless the situation demands it."

"You don't say? An in-the-closet fan girl?" he asked her amusingly. When he didn't receive a chuckle out of his companion, he rose a confused eyebrow then realization. "How long have you been sitting in that booth?"

The dyed bluenette ignored his question. "I'm not a fan girl, Kwan," she said from behind him in the neighboring booth. "Just a person who dislikes those who live dishonestly. Or others talking behind my back."

The two older teenagers exchanged a look before looking to the subject of their brief conversation.

"It wasn't that we were talking anything bad about you," Valerie stated. "Just concerned about that guy and your well-being."

She nodded her head as she stared at the two teenagers with silver orbs. "He's up to something. My gut's telling me to be wary of him," she paused in her serious mood. But like all the other times, she changed the subject and mood in the drop of a hat.

"Who's up for melon bread? I made some yesterday!" She exclaimed, grabbing Valerie's hand and Kwan's as well. "C'mon before Hana decides to eat it all with Jazz!"

"Acting strange?" Valerie asked her fellow captive.

"Yeah," the boy's reply as the two older teenagers were dragged out of Nasty Burger with a determined sophomore leading the way.

-----

Danny laid on his back, ocean blue eyes staring up at the ceiling. The last quarter moon shone its brilliance onto the world outside. Its rays played shadows in his room, giving it a soft pale blue tint. White curtains swayed as a breeze through the crack of the window blew. The same rush of air ruffled the black strands on his face.

He couldn't sleep. He tried but only that dream filled his subconscious, leaving the poor boy more vexed at the message every time. Anxiety of what was to pass did not escape his thoughts. The ghosts were roaming outside the outskirts, not wanting to go into Amity nor back to the Ghost Zone.

He could understand as Dani informed him that three other ghosts have disappeared, which now included Ember.

He may not like his enemies, but he wasn't the type to truly wish some ill fate on them. Especially since both humans and ghosts are being preyed upon by those dark spirits.

"And me as the sacrifice?" he whispered to the shadows in his room. That was what unsettled him the most, ever since the mysterious Kuroi Chou said it ever so bluntly in their last encounter.

_'Why me? And how? We're separate entities... It wouldn't work,'_ he mused.

_'Would it?' _

His face twisted with vexation more so as he sat up on his bed. He stared out the window to the chilly autumn night longingly.

_'Maybe I should go out for a bit...'_

With that resolve in mind, he called those rings of light and became Phantom. He flew out the window, hoping that flying would calm his ever-pressing conscious.

The night tried to soothe his troubled soul. It observed the strange entity that floated about its playground. Its fingers played with his snow white hair and its soft lights glimmered in admiration.

He sighed as he began doing aerial tricks in the air. He laughed bitterly, his neon green eyes glistening.

_'I sure attract trouble, don't I?'_ he thought to himself. It was at this point of time did he really take in his surroundings.

He was floating above the cemetery, crispy leaves about its grounds. Despite its purpose, the moon made the final resting place of the dead friendly and inviting. It was Sam's interest back in middle school, before ghosts came through the Fenton Portal and Danny himself became half of one.

Now, it served as one of the few places that Danny could go that the media wouldn't be so keen on entering.

He was about to leave the cemetery when he heard it. It was a sad, soft tune that floated about the gravestones. Curious, the young halfa decided to see where the tune was coming from.

As he became closer, he could hear what he perceived to be lyrics to a song.

_...no basha wa yami o wake  
Hikari no aru hou e  
Yume to iu wana ga boku tachi o  
Homura e izanau  
_

_'Kuroi Chou?' _he thought as he peered around the corner to see the mysterious girl sitting in the arms of one of the angelic statues. The wings curled around the black-donned girl protectively. She continued to sing as she gazed at the night sky, her hands reaching for the sky.

_Sora no ue no mujihi na kamigami ni wa  
Donna sakebi mo todoki wa shinai_

_Lacrimosa_

She stopped abruptly, looking at Danny's hiding place. Before the poor halfa could react, his hands were pinned against his back and the transparent blade that had saved him so many times was now at his neck.

In a low, stoic voice, the girl commanded into his ear, "State your business here, Phantom."

"I-I was i-in t-the neigh-bor-hood a-and I—" He barely gasped in surprise as he felt the edge of the weapon a bit _too_ close to his jugular vein.

"Your stuttering is a nuisance," her voice hissed. "Along with your existence."

Again, not allowing a word to escape his mouth, Kuroi Chou kneed him in his mid-back, forcing him to kneel. She swiftly moved in front of him, face-to-face with the boy. Neon green eyes narrowed at his assailant.

"What was that for? I thought you were—" The pointing of her blade at his chest let the rest of the words die in his throat.

"You assume many things, Phantom," her voice stated stoically. "I never said I was your ally or I was helping you."

"But at school, with my friend Sam..."

"Humans need to be protected at all costs. I have no duty to protect ghosts or halfas. However, now I can fulfill my mission..." She stepped closer to the enraged teenage boy. "...to terminate your existence."

Danny's eyes widened as he looked at the girl that stood before him. "Terminate?"

"If I let you continue your existence, the balance of the world will be tipped. I cannot allow such a tragedy to take place."

"And you're willing to take my life? How do you think everyone else will feel?"

"My hands are already tainted with many sins. Another will not hurt or help it." She fell silent as she lunged at the ghost boy with determination.

The young hybrid dodged barely as he let his own attacks aim for Kuroi Chou.

Ectoblasts and sparks flew as the two opponents fought. Kuroi Chou was more determined on Danny's destruction as she made swipes and slashes towards his vitals. Danny wasn't bent on the other's demise, for he didn't want to hurt her unnecessarily and just wanted to talk. He also wasn't sure if he could beat her anyway, considering her plane of battle.

"Let me help you," he insisted in between attacks and dodges. Kuroi Chou didn't pause in her graceful movements to Danny's jerky ones.

"You cannot help unless your existence is vanquished," she droned, his ice blast connecting with her chain blade, sparks signaling the successful block. "

"Can't you just tell me what's going on? Why these dark spirits are here? And why they want me as a sacrifice?"

"Why must you know?"

"Because I don't want to be in the dark anymore!" he shouted at her as his last ectoblast caught her a bit off guard and pushed her back a little. She paused to listen to the halfa's words. "I want to stop whatever you're trying to stop. There must be another way to stopping it than just killing me."

"Another way?" her voice muttered then said curtly. "Not probable."

He nodded affirmatively. "There always has to be another way."

"Prepare yourself for your demise, Phantom!" With a mighty thrust, she swung her chain blade once again towards Danny. Instead of trying to slice him like before, the chain itself wrapped around him, immobilizing his movements. She stood over his struggling form, readying herself for the deed that had to be done by her hand.

"Please give me the chance to show you another way..." As much as he despised the idea, he was pleading to her to not kill him. With his hero complex, there was no doubt that he really wanted to help, no matter what. And he had a feeling that ridding the world of himself wouldn't be the solution to the problem that had arisen.

She continued to stand over him in brief silence, probably looking at him through the shadow that obscured half her face.

"A chance? You do know what you are asking, don't you? The severity of the situation?"

"Yeah. If we don't defeat this threat, you can 'terminate my existence.' If we do, then there will be no need for any of that."

Her lips frowned at his words, her voice replying, "You're basically giving me your essence on a silver platter."

He chuckled, rubbing his neck nervously. "I kinda am, huh? I don't know why, it's just you feel familiar, despite your...ways. So why not we shake on it? Temporary allies?"

He stuck out his gloved hand to shake. The other seemed to stare at it, probably contemplating whether or not she should follow through.

He was about to say something when she lifted a trembling, pale hand slowly to meet his. She grasped it with...trepidation? It was like that for a moment or two, with an awkward silence hanging over their heads.

Then she let go.

"You bestow too much trust in people," her voice stated. Without a second glance, she turned away from Danny.

_'Trusting?'_ he mused as he watched Kuroi Chou disappeared once again into the shadows of the night.

Unknown to them, there stood the strange man behind another angelic statue, its wings outstretched threateningly.

"Quite an erratic girl," he whispered to himself, watching the two go their separate ways.

He smirked cunningly as the glint of a lens shone in the moonlight.

* * *

**A/N: Finally, I updated! Thank teachers who didn't give me too much homework over the weekend and the end of field shows!**

**I'm sorry for the wait but school comes first. It's National Novel Writing Month so I decided to work on this story more. Good news for you! So don't feel too upset now, okay?**

**Until next time, adieu faithful readers and thanks for your support!**


	11. Half Truths and Uncertainty

**Disclaimer: No. Just no.**

* * *

A sigh left a certain techno-geek's lips as he scrolled down pages of what appeared to be a website. He stretched out his arms, some joints cracking at the strain. He yawned as he looked at his computer's clock.

_'12:17 on a Sunday afternoon...' _he thought to himself as he turned back to the task at hand.

It was indeed a website, but not of the latest technology or new game releases. Seemingly complete-out-of-character was he looking up the legends and myths that have accompanied mankind's journey through time. However, like all the other websites before the one he was viewing currently, it yielded no new information that he wanted to know.

"This is starting to get redundant," he grumbled. "Everything I've found on the web says the same thing about these 'dark spirits' that Danny mentioned."

_'And there's not much info on them anyway...'_

He held his head in his hands in frustration. He always advocated that everything one could possibly wanted to know was on the Internet. Unfortunately, he was proving himself wrong with the research he had been conducting for the past four days!

"Why does my life have to be so complicated?" he cried in vexation, immediately shutting his mouth for he was supposed to be 'sick.'

He breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't hear footsteps or voices of his parents rushing to his room from his outcry.

Feeling to take a break from the mystery shrouded around those entities, he began surfing the Internet and decided to check the news at the local broadcasting website.

...and what he found there made his dark green eyes widened in shock as he watched the streaming video on the screen.

**XXXX**X

All across Amity Park and surrounding areas were the television sets blaring with the same news report from the local news station.

"_Earlier this morning, a suspicious picture was emailed to the studio,"_ Harriet Chin stated in her usual manner as the picture in question was plastered onto the video box.

There, in the picture, was of the unmistakable Phantom glowing slightly against the night that surrounded the cemetery. Next to him was a mysterious figure that was donned in a black zip-up jacket, its drawstrings flapping in the wind along with the black baggy pants that graced the figure's lower half. A hood obscured their facial features, leaving their identity a puzzle to the viewer.

The two were shaking hands in some silent truce.

"_We are not sure if it is a prank or the real deal but it does raise some questions,"_ Ms. Chin continued as the camera became focused on her once again. _"Who is this person? And what are they to Phantom? Hopefully, he would agree to answer some of the public..."_

Suddenly, a familiar smirking gentleman walked onto the filming set, not fazed by the questioning looks and glares from those on set.

"_Ah... sir. We're filming, so can you please....?"_ Harriet began but was interrupted by the brunnette man's voice.

"_Then that's perfect! Time to explain to you what this is all about!"_

The Chinese woman raised an eyebrow to the man as if he revealed a third eye. _"You know about this picture?"_

"_Indeed I do, mademoiselle, for 'tis I sent it." _He paused for dramatics by the collective gasps before continuing. _"You see my fellow countrymen, this isn't some prank set by myself. No, 'tis the truth. I'm sure you all are familiar to the incident on Monday at Casper High, the police still quite baffled about the turn of events. Well, it is my duty to say that the incident wasn't terrorism as many have tagged it but a work of the supernatural. There are other entities out there besides ghosts, entities that are far more lethal to a human's mortality._

"_They prey on you with a twisted desire to be as close to alive as possible. Thus they take the very essence of yourself: your life then your soul..."_

"_We're listening to a lunatic! Where's security?" _ The director's voice bellowed. It seemed as though everyone had forgotten about the lone camera still rolling the whole scene.

"_I'm afraid they're unavailable," _the man smirked at, one may assumed to be the director with a toothy smile. "_In either case, the being that you see shaking Danny Phantom's hand is no other than an ally of these entities."_

"_How we sure that you not just lying?"_ another voice asked with venom. _"Danny's a good kid."_

At that moment, the smirk on the hazel-eyed man's face widened even more.

"_I'm sure he is... But no teenager can resist his hormones against the opposite sex..."_

"_That's a girl?" _

"_This is true as well... From doing a bit of research and sleuthing, I discovered that person there is indeed a girl. A girl by the name of Kuroi Chou... It's quite an interesting name for it means, 'Black Butterfly,' in Japanese. Those not familiar with the Japanese culture, the black butterfly signifies a bad omen or death... Kind of ironic for someone who tries to claim benevolence..._

"_Danny Phantom, if you happened to be listening to this broadcast, I suggest that you break whatever agreement you have between yourself and Kuroi Chou... She will use you and perhaps try to kill you while your guard is down... Never trust someone who tried to waste you a few moments before..._

"_For everyone else, if you happen to see this person, do not engage her for she will kill you with hauntingly precision... 'Tis all I have to say... Now a word from their sponsors..."_

With that final note, someone must have decided to cue the commercials as everyone around Amity Park looked at their televisions and computer screens with fear and confusion.

**XXXXX**

Nonetheless, a certain raven-haired boy shuddered at what he perceived as a false move on his part. A flash of memory from the night before calmed him down. He could never forget how Kuroi Chou bit her lip with uncertainty, as if it were a life or death situation.

_'That man has to be lying... She was genuine as I could tell... And my hormones were at bay!'_ he sighed as Jazz looked to him in concern.

"Danny, I know that things are a bit confusing and everyone's judging you at the moment... But I believe that you made a good choice for I know you... You wouldn't just ally with someone on the spur of the moment," she assured him as he stood in the doorway.

"Thanks... It's nice to know someone doesn't doubt me," he said as he left the kitchen. She shook her head, knowing her brother didn't believe her at all. She walked over to the phone to call a certain friend to make her feel better.

**XXXXX**

A few of the afternoon sun's rays trickled into the darkened bedroom. Some of the rays fell onto the aqua blue-themed bed spread and other places in the small room. A speck landed on the cheek of a dyed-blunette girl that sat upon the bed.

She trembled and glared, remembering the sight of the familiar man that was on the now-blank television screen before it went to commercials.

_'Jerk! Ungrateful idiot!' _She cursed more in her head as she felt a surge of emotions towards the man. _'Why am I trembling? Is this fear? Why do I fear him?'_

"This is stupid! Argh!" she shouted in vexation. She placed two throw pillows on her ears as she laid on her bed. She yelled into the third one, releasing all the frustration that had accumulated over the past few days. Once done, she relaxed, the outburst draining her of the energy she had.

A ringing of the phone filled the apartment as a sigh escaped from her lips. _ 'It's probably Jazz again...'_

"Can you get that, little sis?" Mikara ground her teeth at once again her sister treating her as her personal butler. She was still bitter about the fact that her sister believed that she was hiding something from her. Whether that was true or not, even she didn't know. Hence, she was a bit rebellious.

"I'm not getting it," she snapped. "It can go to the answering machine if it's that important."

A shuffling of footsteps entered her ears and a click signaled that Hana had picked it up. The dyed bluenette fingered through her shoulder-length hair as she snuggled into her blanket more so. She ignored her sister's conversation as she peeked at her mirror.

_'What's happening to me?'_ asked she of her reflection. _'Am I losing it?'_

She slipped off her bed as she moved closer to the mirror. She examined herself, looking for any indication of being drugged. She stopped as she looked into her reflection's eyes.

She could feel that those silver orbs knew something. They knew it and were hiding it from her.

_'What secrets does my own mind hold?'_

**XXXXX**

Later that night found the mysterious man sat on one of the gravestones in the cemetery. A smirk danced on his features as he clicked through the many pictures he had taken of Danny, Team Phantom, and others.

However, the one that stood out was of Mikara Suzumiya, sitting in the Nasty Burger with Kwan and Valerie.

Her eyes allured him, making him wonder why she was so familiar. Then, as if he remembered, his smirk widened ten fold.

"Is that so, blue-haired one?" he wondered aloud as he chuckled at his epiphany.

_Some secrets are best known than hidden..._

* * *

**A/N: I lied big time. I thought I would have time to write more but life decided to be demanding. Seriously, up until now, I only had time to just sleep after all the stuff I had to do. Then there was that annoying writer's block.**

**And yes, this chapter is unedited. I plan on rewriting the whole story once it's done.  
**

**But excuses are excuses... And I apologize. I hope you found this chapter decent and sorry it wasn't action-packed. I'm horrible at writing action scenes, if you haven't noticed. **

**I'm sleepy now. -yawns-  
**

**Until next time (which will hopefully be before winter break), adieu faithful readers and humble this authoress with a review.  
**


	12. Anticipation

**Disclaimer: No comment.**

* * *

There were rarely things that sent chills down Danny Fenton's spine. Ghosts was definitely not one of them for obvious reasons. Any legends or myths were informed by his Gothic friend.

Nonetheless, every time he left FentonWorks for school, he couldn't help but look down the street. There, on that corner stood the abandoned, red-brick Victorian house. It crept him out, sensing bad vibes from the old place. He would avoid it whenever possible, especially after the night following the dark spirits' attack on Casper High.

"Danny, are you okay?" Sam asked. He shook himself from his minor fear as he looked at his two friends who were waiting on his stoop. Both had the same expression: confused and questioning. He sighed, knowing it was inevitable at this point for the questions to come.

"I'm fine. And before you say anything, I don't believe a word that guy said yesterday."

Tucker waved him off. "I figured that but he did raise the people's doubt in you. Oof!" The exclamation at the end was because Sam elbowed him in the side.

"That wasn't helping," she scolded to the beret boy. "But you know we have to ask: Can we really trust her?"

"To the extent that she knows what's going on. I'm sure she'll be okay for that."

"But she probably knows what's going on because she is with those things," she countered.

"I know but it's a chance I have to take," a pause as Danny gathered his thoughts. "It's either her or them. Even if she was with them, why would she protect us?" He carefully omitted the fact that the strange girl had no problem of himself being wiped off the face of the Earth. It wouldn't have helped his argument.

Sam sighed as Tucker shook his head.

"As long as you know what you're getting into, bro," he said, feeling the same as Sam about the situation. What if Kuroi Chou was just using him? What if her 'helping' was a ploy? True, one shouldn't believe what they see and hear on television but sometimes it does have one wonder...

Danny shared their thoughts but he couldn't shake himself of the hooded girl's nervous gestures. With that image in his mind, he told his friends, "I do. Now let's get to school before we're too late!"

**XXXXX**

Casper High School: the lockers, the school smell, and the Box Ghost's daily threats (if one can call them that).

After last Monday's strange attack, it seemed as if everyone had recovered completely. The A-List teenagers were being as pompous as ever, ridiculing those that they deemed unworthy of popularity. The stereotypical nerds were paranoid about being stuffed into a locker, except a few who made the common bullying technique as some sort of competition.

Then there were the fan girls who usually squealed every time they saw Danny Fenton walking down the halls. The said boy rubbed his temples, expecting their high-pitched screams to reach his ears all day.

However, the same scenario repeated itself from the morning and lunchtime. Instead of those cheers, the whole hallway was silenced as soon as everyone saw the young halfa. They moved to the side a bit, almost as if it was parting the waters for him to pass. No one knew what to say after yesterday's fiasco. Some were skeptical (ie. Kwan and Valerie) of the peculiar man's claims, while others were a bit vexed by the situation.

The raven-haired teen sighed as he maneuvered about to get to his next class. It would have remained that deathly silence if it wasn't for one thing...

"What!"

The shout of disbelief resonated about the halls of the school as all the students simultaneously turned to the source.

At the door of a sophomore English classroom, there stood a familiar younger teenage girl, with midnight-blue trusses of hair. Her silver eyes narrowed at a teacher by the name of Mr. Quinn. He stood his ground as he pushed up his sliding glasses.

"You have missed too many days," he stated calmly. "Thus I'm forced to fail you this quarter."

"Have you ever heard of doctor's excuse? I can't control when I'm sick or not," Mikara retorted.

"Then write a letter to Ishiyama about it. As it stands, you're failing this quarter."

Her head bowed in shame as her fists trembled. Everyone stared—including Danny—at the sophomore as she lifted her head and glared at the students.

"Isn't the late bell going to ring any second?" she snapped at them. Without a word or second glance, many of the students rushed to their next classes.

Danny continued to stand there for a little while until he sensed the Box Ghost up to his antics once again. He sighed as he transformed and flew off to handle the annoying ghost.

It didn't take that long to find him, boxes in the gym's storage room in disarray. Without even looking, the young Phantom aimed the Thermos at the ghost and trapped the infuriating entity in its prison.

He had transformed back almost immediately. He was heading to class when he overheard a conversation between the dyed bluenette sophomore and Mr. Quinn.

"It must be hard for him..." he heard the girl say in a subdued tone. "He has to deal with all these ghosts, fan girls, and lies spewed over the media about him... And he's only a junior in high school."

"It is a lot of responsibility for one person," the British man agreed. "But he has good friends that support him unwaveringly. He'll be fine, that boy."

Danny heard a sigh, suspecting it was from the girl. "I'm such a worrywart, aren't I? I worry about people that already have people to worry for them."

The middle-aged man chuckled at his young pupil's comment. "It's nothing to be ashamed of kid. Just shows you're human. That you have a good heart... Eh... You know what I mean."

A snicker came out of her mouth that made the teenage hero raised an eyebrow at what was supposed to be comical.

"I do. And I will write that letter," her eyes glistened with newfound determination. "I will not go down without a fight! I will not fail this quarter."

Danny watched, along with Mr. Quinn, the girl of Asian descendant, make long, confident strides towards her next class, her shoulder bag jingling from all the charms she had collected.

Before the English teacher entered his classroom, he muttered to himself, "You are one unique girl, Suzumiya... Definitely stronger than you realize..."

Genuinely confused by the conversation and grateful that there was someone who sympathized, Danny Fenton entered his U.S. History class and sat in his desk. He stared out the window to the awaiting sky, soft clouds floating measly by.

_'Definitely stronger than you realize... What did he mean by that?'_

**XXXXX**

Darkness shrouded the room, with only a speck of light spilling onto the floor from the outside.

"There's doubt now..." a harsh male voice hissed in delight. "Soon, everyone will be against him..."

A short gasp is heard as a cold chill sliced into the desolated room. "My lord?"

Grunting, the previous voice said, "Yes?"

"Master has been curious about your doings," a feminine voice informed. "And the time of New Moon is approaching in six day's time."

The sound of snarling filled the space before the male voice responded, "Tell Master that everything is going as planned. As of the time we have, I know as well and am preparing accordingly. Is there anything else?"

"Nothing much else except the progress on handling that Kuroi Chou," a pause. "Master is curious about that as well."

At this, there seemed to be a smirk in his words as the male voice stated, "Interesting..."

"Then I'll leave you, my lord." Another cold chill signaled the dark spirit's departure.

_'Without them knowing it, they have become tangled in my web.'_

"This shall be entertaining now..."

* * *

**A/N: And so I updated before break! Yay! ^_^ Everything may seem loosely related but trust me, it all ties together in the end.**

**Do any of you have any theories or predictions for this story? I'm curious what you think.**

**So I thank all of you who have reviewed already and those who have added me to their alerts. Do not fear the REVIEW button though! ^_^**

**.:. A preview for next chapter .:.**

"I don't know!" the young girl shouted for the umpteenth time. "I woke up and this was there!"

"Then what do you expect me to believe?" her sister asked skeptically. "That it appeared over night? While you were asleep? What are you hiding?"

The young girl's voice became subdued and filled with uncertainity. "...I don't know."**  
**


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